


Cookies

by WitchTiara



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Baking, Gen, M/M, Relatively Healthy Family Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-19
Updated: 2014-05-19
Packaged: 2018-01-25 16:20:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1654811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WitchTiara/pseuds/WitchTiara
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hal Strider is very different from his brothers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cookies

**Author's Note:**

  * For [iwantcandy2](https://archiveofourown.org/users/iwantcandy2/gifts).



The end was upon them. They knew it, and they were scared. No one knew what would happen if they tried the Scratch a second time. How different would things be? Would they be given a third chance at all? 

Jane's hand crept uneasily towards the button, but then was seized by determination, and her hand shot out and slapped the button down. 

Everything was heat, fire, melting. There was so much pain. Davesprite expected something more, for him, but the flames devoured him, too. 

~~~~~~~~~

They were all reborn. 

Jane and her twin John, Jake and his twin Jade, the Strider family finally in its entirety, the Lalonde family whole at last. 

Dirk appeared in a Texas Longhorns hoodie at Jake's house. When Jake answered the door, Dirk's sour face brightened a little. He gestured to the 13-year-old in his shadow and said, "We can leave the kid at the door." 

Jade's head appeared, and she said, "Oh, don't be so silly! We can handle him just fine!" She extended a hand to the kid, which he reluctantly took, and she led him inside, Dirk following. 

Then Dirk and Jake went to Jake's bedroom, and Jade took the boy into the kitchen. 

"So, Otto, do you know how to-" 

"My name is Hal." 

Jade looked puzzled. "Your name is Otto Strider. It always has been." 

Hal shook his head. "Otto Strider? It just doesn't sound right. Hal Strider, now that sounds like something worthwhile." 

She smiled patronizingly. "People will still like you even if you don't like your name." 

"Please, just call me Hal." 

She sighed. "Okay, then, Hal. Do you know how to bake cookies?" 

"Why would I?" 

"We, your father could've taught you. Wouldn't that be ironic?" 

He shook his head quite childishly. "No, it's too normal. We live like ten stories deeper into irony." 

Jade's smile turned quite strained. "I'll teach you, so pay attention, okay?" 

She washed her hands, then got out the cold cookie dough. She pulled off bits of it, rolled it between her clean hands into little balls, then smushed them relatively flat onto the baking sheet. After her fourth one, she handed a good-sized glob to Hal. He stared at it, moved his hands into the right position to begin rolling it, but his arms didn't move. 

"What are you doing?" 

"I don't know." 

"I just showed you four times!" 

She put her hands on his wrists, and moved his hands in the necessary small circles. He allowed her to do this, and didn't tense up, but stared uncomprehendingly at the movements. 

"Okay, now close your hand around it." He closed his left hand around it. "Drop your right hand." He dropped his hand to his side. She pulled his hand to above the next space on the baking sheet, and she pried his hand open again. Then she smoothed it out, making him flatten it. 

"Do you get it now?" 

"Yes." 

She handed him another piece, and this time he was able to do it on his own. Jade felt her frustration clear up and a sense of pride take root. Soon he was a little professional cookie-maker. 

Then, Dirk burst into the hallway. "We're leaving, Otto." 

"What? But I-" 

"No buts. Come on." 

Hal followed his brother out the door, forced to leave his sticky hands hanging by his side instead of shoved coolly and nonchalantly into his hoodie pockets. 

\---------------

"Hey," Dave's twin said, slowly pushing Hal's door open. 

"Sup, dude," Hal responded from lying on his stomach on his bed. 

"Is something wrong? That doesn't look very much like a coolkid pose." 

Hal shook his head. 

"Did Dirk do something? Did I do something? Did Dad do something?" 

Hal sighed and turned over. "Will you call me Hal?" 

"Sure thing, Hal." 

"Come in, close the door." Dave's twin did as he was asked. 

Hal fiddled with his hoodie strings. Some part of him longed for warmer climates. 

"I was with Dirk at Jade's house when he and Jake broke up." On seeing the horror creep over his brother's face, he added, "Not in the same room, of course." This placated him. "But I was baking with Jade, and I was really good at it, but then Dirk made me leave." Hal sat up. "I'm not good at too many things." 

"So, you think you wanna try baking? Shit, I'd love to eat some of your cookies, lil man." 

A small smile briefly flitted across Hal's face. "I know that you would. Do you think Dad would mind?" 

Dave's twin rolled his eyes. "I think you'll be fine, Hal. He'd probably love your cookies, too." 

This time, the smile stayed. 

Dave's twin ruffled Hal's hair, and was about to leave, when Hal said, "Do you ever remember things that didn't happen?" 

He turned on his heel slowly. "What do you mean?" 

"Like, I remember being a computer program. But I've always been a human, right?" An uneasy smile tugged at the former sprite's lips. 

"It's okay. I remember being a computer program, too. Do you remember me?" 

Hal felt an unusual tugging at his heart. "A little, I think. You were all orange, weren't you? And you had wings." 

Dave's twin felt a little panic. He exaggeratedly made the bed around Hal. When he finished, he lingered, and pressed a small kiss to the kid's forehead. 

"Tell me anything else you remember tomorrow, okay? While we're at the store." 

"Why will we be at the store?" 

"To buy dough." 

"Oh... Do you promise?" 

"I promise." They linked pinkies, and Dave's twin left his bedside. 

\---------------

Dave the Second pushed the cart idly by, listening for important details in Hal's talk and looking for refrigerated cookie dough. 

"Dave?" 

"Uh huh?" 

"Do you think our family doesn't like us because we were programs but they were all humans?" 

Dave's twin looked at him. "Our family loves us. What are you talking about?" 

"You're just as good as the other Dave, right? So why are you always just 'Dave's twin'?" 

"It's hard to tell us apart, especially with the same name. It ought to be illegal for us to both be called Dave, but the authorities haven't taken us in yet. If they call him Dave's twin, they're just as right." 

"But you've got orange to distinguish you, and red for the other Dave. Why can't they use that?" 

Dave stopped and picked up the cylinder of Pillsbury biscuits. "I'm not sure that 'Orange Dave' would be a step up from the situation." 

"But you do recognize that there is a situation." Dave sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. 

"I don't recognize anything but the fact that we are family and family loves each other." 

Hal stopped and crossed his arms and looked at Dave with eyes burning behind his shades. "Not all families love each other." 

Dave swallowed. "Listen, Hal. I love you. The other Dave loves you. Dirk loves you. Dad loves you. You've got nothing to worry about." 

"False. Dirk doesn't love me. He thinks I'm annoying. He tolerates me at best." 

"He only thinks you're annoying because you copy him all the time," Dave said, lightly punching Hal's arm. Hal's gaze remained steady and demanding. Dave sighed again. "Dirk really does love you, okay? He just doesn't show it well enough." 

"Then explain this," Hal said, and lifted his shirt and hoodie to reveal a large bruise on his abdomen. 

"You two must have been strifing. I'll have a word with him; he's not supposed to strife with you. Now put your shirt back down before people start staring." 

Hal seemed like he wanted to say something more, but sighed and picked out some cookie dough.

\-------------

Hal was on his third batch when Dave's twin came home. The smell of sugar was in the air, and the chocolate chips were making his stomach growl before he even got to the kitchen. 

"I see you really are good at it." Hal jumped a little. 

"Yeah. I am." 

Dirk flashstepped past, stole a cookie, and flashed back to his room. 

"Hold on there, Dirk! I need to talk to you!" Dave called to him. 

He flashstepped back into the room. "What is it?" 

"Have you been strifing with Hal?" 

Although he was confused, Dirk's face betrayed nothing. "Who?" 

"Our little brother. Formerly known as Otto." 

Dirk gave the bridge of his nose a quick, irritated pinch. "No." 

"Hal, lift up your shirt." 

Hal undid his apron strings, lifted the neck-loop over his head, and lifted his shirt, revealing the bruise. 

"How exactly did he get that?" Dave asked. Hal bashfully lowered his shirt. 

"Ok, look. He wasn't leaving my room, so I gave him a kick. It wasn't a real strife, so calm down." 

"Dirk. Do not kick your little brother. You're the oldest, so you ought to have learned this by now." 

"Well, will you get him to stay out of my room?" 

Dave looked over to Hal. "Hal, please stay out of Dirk's room. You can come into my room if you're bored, I promise." 

Hal responded in a timid voice, "I needed something." 

"What did you need?" Dave asked, at the same time that Dirk asked, "What did you take?" 

"I lost my charger and my phone died, so I took Dirk's extra one." 

Dirk frowned. "Why didn't you just get out of my room, then?" 

"... I was lonely." 

Dirk sighed. 

"Well, in the future, please stay out of Dirk's room. You can come visit me anytime." 

Hal looked at the floor, biting his lip and nodding his agreement. 

The timer dinged and Hal rushed to the oven to check on the cookies. Dave dismissed Dirk and they flashstepped back to their own rooms. 

\---------------

Hal knocked softly. "Dave?" 

Both Daves answered back, "Yeah?" 

"Um, Orange, Dave..." 

Dave's twin opened the door, leaning casually against the frame. "What's up, little bro?" 

"I just want to hang out with you." 

A smile lit up Dave's face. "Well, come on in, partner." 

Hal stepped through the doorway nervously. 

"We can splitscreen a game if you like." Hal matched his smile. 

"I'd like that."


End file.
